Ryan Day’s team did well—too well that it even interrupted important things. With their victory over No. 9 Tennessee, No. 8 Ohio State now moves on to the quarterfinals to face No. 1 Oregon. Talk about a lucky day for the Buckeyes! Not only did they snag a big W, but they also managed to grab the undivided attention of NBA legend LeBron James—mid-game, no less.

The Ohio State-Tennessee clash in the first round of the CFP had even LeBron James hyped. He turned to his Lakers teammate, Dalton Knecht—a former Tennessee Vols small forward who recently signed a 4-year, $18,483,220 deal to play alongside the basketball legend. In an Instagram reel shared by CBS Sports on December 22, the NBA star couldn’t hold back his Buckeye pride. “Hey DK, 21-nothing. Don’t worry about it, go,” LeBron said, casually dropping the score as the Buckeyes steamrolled the Vols in the first quarter.

The 4-time NBA champ’s excitement reached a peak when TreVeyon Henderson broke loose for a jaw-dropping 29-yard touchdown run, earning a standing ovation from King James himself. And honestly, who can blame him?

LeBron’s Ohio roots run deep, and he’s always been the ultimate Buckeyes hypeman. Whether he’s rocking Ohio State gear courtside or letting his inner fanboy loose in EA Sports’ college football video game, his loyalty to his hometown team is unmatched. So when the Buckeyes lit up Tennessee with a three-TD lead in the first quarter, you already knew LeBron was all aboard the hype train. 

Meanwhile, TreVeyon Henderson scored another TD with his 24-yard scamper in the fourth quarter to lead 42-10. The Vols then scored their second 2-yard TD run by Nico Iamaleava to end the final score at 42-17. Ohio State now earns their ticket to the quarterfinals, where they’ll face their nemesis Oregon, the only other team aside from Michigan that gave them a taste of defeat. Can they salvage their status with a comeback? 

Can Ohio State save Ryan Day’s job?

TreVeyon Henderson has a green health status for the upcoming Rose Bowl game on January 1, which is also the playoff quarterfinals. That’s positive news for Ryan Day, who’s on the verge of losing his job at Ohio State. The Michigan loss ignited fans’ fury again, as this is the fourth time the Buckeyes have lost in a row to their arch rival Wolverines. So the pressure of a national championship weighs heavy on Ryan Day. 

If anything slips, fans aren’t going to go easy on the sixth-year HC. Even the support backing him is also facing backlash along with him. But Dan Lanning and Oregon are a formidable opponent. It’s just OSU’s luck that they had to have one of the toughest paths to the natty. They’re not going to be favored over the undefeated Ducks. Even if they do win, their semifinal opponent is likely going to be Texas. Another formidable opponent!

All the seasons under Ryan Day always had promising beginnings. But all of them ended up in unceremonious full stops just when the national championship was in sight. Hate to admit, but it’s almost turning out to be a ghost of past hauntings.